Alexandra Donaldson

Associate - Cohort 005

Alex Donaldson asks how world religions and classical philosophies influence
peoples’ perspectives and their institutions. She believes these disciplines provide key insights into understanding the world around us.

As an associate with Normal Next, Donaldson is directly involved in developing a new way for young people to advance civic change.

She graduated from George Washington University with a double major in Classics and Religion with a minor in Philosophy. She was involved in Eta Sigma Phi and Phi Sigma Tau, the classical studies and philosophy collegiate honors societies.

Her academics culminated in two senior thesis projects. For classical studies, she analyzed how different narratives in the Hebrew Bible and Greek New Testament represented subversive ancient Near Eastern women. Her religion thesis involved analyzing Christian engagement within restorative justice, with a focus on Mennonite and Evangelical figures in the movement. She combined her undergraduate background in religion with her future in law and criminal justice.

As an intern for the Biblical Archaeology Society, she reviewed and compiled scholarship applications for archeological digs sponsored by the DC-based, non-sectarian organization. She also assisted in the selection of 15 national and internationally based awardees.

Next fall she will attend law school, aspiring to work with the Judge Advocate General Corps or the Federal Bureau of Investigation, yet she remains open to how the future unfolds.

From Portland, Oregon, Donaldson enjoys hiking, coffee, and has a preference for eclectic music. Last summer, she hiked to the summit of South Sister, the third tallest mountain in Oregon. Her lifelong goals are to summit Mount Kilimanjaro with her family and hike the length of the Pacific Crest Trail.